|
Lincoln Area Music Society
celebrates the American West at its second summer band concert
[June 10, 2026]
The Lincoln Area Music Society
(LAMS) Community Band presented its second outdoor concert of the
summer on Sunday evening with a musical tribute to the American
West. The band performs Sunday evenings at Latham Park through the
month of June.
As is traditional, the concert opened with “The Star-Spangled
Banner,” and the audience was invited to stand and sing. Then the
emcee introduced the first song of the American West theme, which
was the title theme from the movie “The Magnificent Seven.” The
score from this 1960 movie starring Yul Brynner, Steve McQueen and
Charles Bronson won the Academy Award that year. The second
selection was a medley entitled “The Good Old West” and was written
by James Christiansen, a prolific American composer and arranger.
Christiansen worked for Disney productions for 37 years and his
music can be heard at theme parks around the world.
The third song of the concert was
the theme from the movie "Legends of the Fall” called “The Ludlows”
and composed by James Horner. The theme songs continued with the
theme from the CBS television show “Wild, Wild West” composed by
Richard Markowitz. The band concluded the first half of the concert
with the “William Tell Overture” by Gioachino Rossini and known to
many as the theme song of “The Lone Ranger.”
The band then took a ten-minute
intermission, which allowed the audience the opportunity to enjoy
delicious homemade cakes or brownies with ice cream prepared by the
Lincoln Woman’s Club. The proceeds from the cake and ice cream sales
at each summer band concert support the Lincoln Woman’s Club
charitable works and scholarships.
The band opened the second half of the concert with "A Cowboy
Symphony,” a work in three movements by Pierre La Plante featuring
tunes from seven songs including "Buffalo Gals” and “Skip to My
Lou.” “Cowboy in Cuba” was the next song which was composed by Clare
Grundman. Grundman was a U.S. Coast Guard musician during World War
II and spent his music career composing for television, movies, and
Broadway musicals, but he was best known as a symphonic band
composer. Next the band performed “Rhinestone Cowboy” written by
Larry Weiss and made famous by Glen Campbell in 1975.
[to top of second column] |
The penultimate piece was the
American folk song “Home on the Range” originally written as a
poem by Dr. Brewster M. Higley in the early 1870s and set to
music by his friend, violinist Daniel E. Kelley. Higley was a
Kansas homesteader and “Home on the Range” was adopted as the
Kansas state song in 1947. The traditional final selection of
the concert was Irving Berlin’s “God Bless America.” The
audience was invited to stand and join in singing.
The LAMS summer band is directed by
Riley McDorman, band director at Athens High School. The concert was
emceed by Terry McDorman. LAMS is comprised of volunteers, and
community musicians are invited to join the LAMS Community Band.
Practices are Monday evenings at Lincoln United Methodist Church.
LAMS business sponsors are Pacesetter, ME Realty, Lincoln Daily
News, Jake’s Furnishings, El Mazatlan Mexican Restaurant, Eaton,
Culver’s of Lincoln, Begolka Farms (Bob and Darlene Begolka), and
Abbott and Associates. Any business interested in sponsoring the
LAMS summer concert series may contact LAMS at
lincolnareamusicsociety@gmail.com.
This season’s LAMS Community Band summer concerts at Latham Park
will continue with performances on June 14 and June 28 at 7 p.m.
There will be no concert on Father’s Day, June 21. Next Sunday’s
concert will be a musical journey through Broadway. The concerts are
free and the community is cordially invited to bring a lawn chair
and enjoy local live music.
LAMS American West celebration photo slideshow
LAMS performs 'Rhinestone
Cowboy' video
[Stephanie Hall]
|
